The Bay Belle II has to be ready to operate in all conditions
BELLE BAY proves to be popular
OF THE
IMAGES BY MAGIC MEMORIES
Passengers on board the Bay Belle II between Paihia and Russell in the Bay of Islands are mostly blissfully unaware of the thought that went into her design as they enjoy the fresh air and the ambience.
minutes to reveal a landscape of islands, coves and rolling hills before she berths, pauses for breath as pas- sengers and goods are loaded off and on, and starts on the return trip. Her owner,
S Fullers InterCity Ferries, wanted to
maintain the traditions established by the original Bay Belle, which made up to 15 return trips almost daily from
48 NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2012
he pulls away from her berth, picks her way through the flotilla of colourful yachts, work- boats and launches, then gathers up her skirts. The panorama of the bay opens up for a few
1973 to March 2011 between the two townships. She carried over 5.3 million passengers and travelled more than 610,000 miles. Although the Bay Belle II is of modern design and
construction, she shares many features of the first Bay Belle. She also has a reputation to uphold. When the residents of the Bay of Islands were invited to choose her name there was an overwhelming response to keep the history of the Bay Belle alive. Fullers InterCity Ferries was clear about what type of
vessel they wanted for the short run. It was left to the designer, Tony Gough, to interpret the ideas and turn a wish list into a functional ferry that can be expected to run for 50 years. This in itself was a tough task, but the Invercargill company Gough Bros has a reputation for designing and building no-nonsense workboats. The 15.95m Bay Belle II was built of marine aluminium alloy specifically for the service and crewed by Fullers for her delivery voyage from Invercargill up the coast. She displays good lines, with a fine entry spreading
